No God, No Knowledge; Know God, Know Knowledge
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
One of the most enduring questions in philosophy is the problem of the one and the many. How can unity and diversity coexist in a coherent way? Is reality ultimately one, or is it many? If only unity is real, how do we explain differences? If only plurality is real, how do we explain coherence, order, and meaning? Without reconciling these, knowledge and life itself become unstable.
Continue reading “A Vaisnavism Response to the Problem of the One and the Many”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
In some corners of the devotee community, there’s an unspoken rule—or even open pressure—not to say that a devotee “dies.” It’s sometimes treated as offensive, incorrect, or even sinful. But this is not based on śāstra, nor on the example of our founder-ācārya. In fact, such social taboos often function more as subtle forms of control than as expressions of truth.
Continue reading “Do Devotees Die? The Death of a Myth!”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
It is important to acknowledge at the outset that many people have legitimate emotional and intellectual reasons to be suspicious of religion. Certain prominent theological systems promote the notion that God hates particular individuals or groups, withdraws His love from them, and condemns them to eternal punishment with no possibility of redemption. In such systems, divine love is conditional and retractable — and consequently, followers of these religions are often encouraged to withhold their compassion from those outside their belief system. This portrayal of God as selectively loving and eternally punitive leaves lasting psychological scars and colors the way many people instinctively react to any discussion of God or religion.
Continue reading “Religion, Fear, and the Reptilian Brain: Why People Reject God Before Understanding Him”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Did you know that many common English words are connected to Sanskrit — the ancient language of India?
We rarely stop to consider where our words come from. Language often feels like a tool we use, nothing more. But behind the words we speak lie centuries of memory, culture, and thought.
One of the most surprising and overlooked roots in Western languages leads back to Sanskrit — the language that has carried India’s wisdom, philosophy, and poetry through the ages. And yet, it keeps reappearing, quietly, in everyday English.
Continue reading “Western Words With Roots In Sanskrit”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Some argue that meaningful debate between the theist and the atheist is impossible. Their reasoning is simple: if one accepts that reality is founded on the Supreme Person, and the other denies any transcendent source, what real dialogue is possible? Aren’t they just speaking past one another, trapped within incompatible presuppositions?
This objection seems persuasive at first glance. After all, if our basic assumptions about reality, truth, and meaning differ, what common ground could we possibly share?
Continue reading “Can Theists and Atheists Debate Meaningfully? A Vaisnava Perspective”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
This paper presents a comprehensive framework for understanding Vaiṣṇava epistemology, intended especially for those engaged in the serious intellectual preaching work of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. We will explore how knowledge begins not with inquiry, but with revelation—how śabda (divine testimony) is not a supplement to reason or perception, but the very ground upon which all rational thought, moral judgment, and empirical investigation rests.
Continue reading “How Vaisnava Epistemology Grounds an Effective Preaching Method”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Who truly owns anything?
This is not a rhetorical question, nor a speculative indulgence. It is a question as ancient as civilization itself—one that emerges whenever land is claimed, borders are drawn, or wealth is distributed. Beneath every assertion of ‘mine’ lies an ontological mystery: what does it mean to own, and what legitimizes that claim?
Continue reading “Who Really Owns Anything? A Vaisnava Critique of Secular Ownership Theories”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
The claim that God is hidden from sincere seekers has become a central objection to theism in contemporary philosophy of religion. The argument suggests that if a perfectly loving God exists, He would ensure that all non-resistant individuals are aware of Him. The absence of such awareness is thus presented as evidence against God’s existence. Yet this objection presupposes a form of spiritual neutrality that the Vaiṣṇava tradition does not accept. According to Vaiṣṇava Vedānta, God is not absent—He is actively resisted. His apparent “hiddenness” is not a flaw in His nature, but a function of His personalism, His respect for the soul’s autonomy, and the moral and ontological conditions necessary for real relationship.
Continue reading “A Vaisnava Response to The Problem of Divine Hiddenness”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), often pointed out a profound inconsistency in human thinking: “We want the kingdom of God without God.” This statement encapsulates a deep critique of materialistic worldviews, particularly those that seek the benefits of order, purpose, and meaning—attributes traditionally associated with the divine—while rejecting the very source of those qualities. From a Vaisnava perspective, which emphasizes the eternal relationship between the soul and Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this contradiction reveals not only a philosophical error but also a spiritual blindness.
Continue reading “Wanting God’s Kingdom Without God”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
As we engage in philosophical discussions, we must be mindful of our approach. Many devotees of Krishna make the mistake of refuting individual arguments one by one, like facing an attacking lion and trying to wound its limbs instead of stopping it entirely. Imagine being in the wilderness, and a fierce lion suddenly charges toward you. If you panic and merely injure its legs, paws, ears or tail, it will keep coming, adapting to its injuries and growing more aggressive. Every second wasted prolongs the danger. The wise person knows that the only way to truly stop the threat is to aim for the heart or the head—the vital points that ends the attack instantly.
Continue reading “How Vaisnava Epistemology Defeats Atheism”
Ajit Krishna Dasa 